TFS Jake

So, my friend and I are riding around at about 12 AM tonight, i'm recording us riding around for the fun of it. We both had a headlamp and taillight. Yes it's snowing, and the roads are covered in ice, so I didn't want to be in my car... We went into Walmart, with our bikes, and went to buy some oatmeal cream pies, gatorade, and an innertube. We were doing the ole ride-your-bike-like-a-scooter and not get completely off because NO ONE was in there. We grab our stuff and are headed to the checkout and two of the managers stop up and tell us to get off, which we do. We bought our stuff and stood outside talking and drinking our gatorade. I guess "I" should have paid for one of the items because "I" was loitering. 3 cops come out of the store and tell us to leave, we do.

So on our way home, two cops cars pull up and pass us.They pull into this little parking lot, drivers door to drivers door. aka "The Donut Exchange" We think nothing of it and ride by. Once we get passed, both of them blip the sirens and flash their lights. They pull us over, ask for our license, and say that we were "taking pictures of cars" and loitering. I didn't think to ask why we were pulled over. It was "Too cold for you two boys to be outside on bikes." I had no idea that there was an age/time/temp limit to when you could ride your bikes.

*I will proofread this a few times, but did I do something wrong, or is this simply ageist? (is that a word?)

thompsonjeff

Everytime i've been pulled over by police while riding, i've always been harassed by them. From what i've learned the cops don't take to fondly to bicycle riders(no matter how law abiding we are). In my opinion you did nothing wrong, legally from what i take from this, nothing. Cops blow.

P.s. Ageist is a word, but it usually means they are bothering you for being REALLY OLD. hahahha

cyclezealot

Probably late at night and bored.. In LA they routinely harass cyclists, because cycling they think, is a good way to pull off a robbery. You're much more agile compared to a car.. . Wal Mart is so anti bike, amazing they would even let them into the store..

keithm0

A.k.a. "Adam 69".

Chris_in_Miami

It works the other way too: when I was in my late teens, I got stopped a few times while driving my parent's Cadillac (age profiling at work.) Without fail, they made up a lame lie for stopping me - license plate obscured (it wasn't,) tail light out (not true,) etc. Never issued a ticket for the "offense," and one threatened to arrest me with his hand on his gun when I tried to get out of the car to check the light. It just served to reinforce my policy of keeping my interaction with them to an absolute minimum, and to never believe a word they tell me.

ghettocruiser

Back in my BMX days, I was once detained and questioned for "trying to break into cars" in a totally empty parking lot.

Other than that non-event, no issues whatsoever.

AdamDZ

I think cops take some kind of ******* serum during their years at the academy. I met like 3 nice cops in my 18 years of living in NYC.

Adam

xtrajack

I had town cop follow me one night at a greatly reduced speed, when he finally decided to pass, he passed very slowly. I was thinking that he would like to have pulled me over, but couldn't find a reason. In any event, the road was such that the entire event was unnecessary, which lead to my thinking that he wanted to check me out.

sggoodri

You were riding your bikes inside the store. This, your ages, and the odd hours and weather for cycling set off a red flag for the police. Where I live, a large percentage of minor crimes are committed by bored teenagers lacking adult supervision. Your appearances fit the stereotype.

I spent my teen years riding a bike around town wanting to stick it to the man without actually causing anyone harm. These days, I am the man.

Johan13

You werent following rules by bringing bikes inside. Your biking ourside in the snow at very late hours (which is odd for most people). At the very least you looked suspicious. If you do abnormal stuff at abnormal times, you will more likely get pulled over. I think the cops did a good job, as you guys stood out like sore thumbs. Its not like they arrested you, they were just checking things out

ItsJustMe

FWIW, 12PM is noon.

seenoweevil

On my commute route, there are occasionally cops setting up speed traps (thanks officers!) for the drivers that whizz past me - usually at speeds above the limits. Even last week , 19* in the dark at 5:30am, as I rolled past, smiled, and waved, the officer blinked his lights, rolled down the window and waved back. They do a thankless job for pitiful pay. A smile and marginal respect and understanding go a long way usually. But yeah, some of them are just dix...just like all of us!

truman

Besides letting you know they had their eye on you, they were getting your name and contact info on file for the evening.

If anything bad happened in the area while you were noted to have been out and about, like burglary, vandalism, theft or whatnot, you may expect Detective Jones to come around and ask you questions.

DallasSoxFan

Leave your bike outside. Purchase your items and leave the premises.

hshearer

seenoweevil makes a great point. Cops are rarely anyone's hero, at least among the people they interact with, and they aren't paid very well for the important and dangerous job they do. A few enjoy the ego trip, certainly, but mostly they are trying to save us from ourselves (from speeding, drugs, domestic abuse) and get no thanks for it.

Part of their job is to check out suspicious situations, which can lead to more (like seeing that you're impaired, or have drugs or burglary tools on you), and at least demonstrates a watchful police presence in the area. You guys sure sounded a little suspicious, but as long as you're doing nothing wrong, there's nothing to worry about. Sounds like the police did a good job.

TFS Jake

They were in the store, saw me, and decided to pull me over later (a mile down the road) instead of questioning me in the store.

They were trying to act like I was trying to steal cars or stuff out of them and I "can't" take pictures of them. Even though he didn't ask to see my camera or check me. We were pulled over for nothing other than a stereotype. But even then, you would think that me wearing my reflective green shirt and lights would give them the clue that we weren't up to no good.

To the guys that say I didn't get off my bike, I was going walking speed and not hurting anyone. I've seen kids go faster pushing/riding shopping carts.

TFS Jake

The only "suspicious" thing we were doing was riding out bikes at night. I waited outside for about 2 minutes while my friend finished purchasing our stuff. Then we just stood out there talking and drinking our gatorade.

rumrunn6

just busting your chops - they be the law. just say yes sir no sir and give them the respect they are looking for even if they are being jackass grown-up punks. age doesn't cure being a punk/bully

sounds like a fun time just be sensitive to what the cops like and don't like. try to "conform" that's always been my challenge.

Artkansas 

Ageist, yes. Teens are not generally known for impulse control or thinking of the consequences. That you are out at midnight on a school night in weather that most adults would not drive in... proven by the empty store, sends up a lot of red flags. Riding your bike like a scooter in the store sends up rocket flares. I would not be surprised if the manager hadn't called the cops while you were in the store and you happened to leave before they arrived. So while you didn't do anything illegal, your behavior was out of the ordinary enough and showed lack of parental control to mark you for further investigation by some cops who probably didn't have much else to do at the moment.

Riding your bikes like scooters in the store? The manager will remember that. And very likely, the next time someone needs to park in the store, say because they forgot their lock, the manager will tell them "too bad." And they will be wondering what they did to deserve that.

Artkansas 

They were pushing your buttons to see how you'd react. Are you clear headed and level minded or reactive or just trying to hide something.

TFS Jake

I have seen one other cyclist in my 16 years of living here. But, I understand. What's weird is, we've done this before, and no-one has said anything.

Do we know if it is illegal for me to push my bike around the store while I shop?

buffalo_cody

Meh, I wouldn't take it so personally. They didn't arrest, ticket, or harass you. They were just checking you out, because well to be honest riding (scooting?) your bike inside of a walmart at 12 in the morning with a camera during a snow storm in the 'burbs is a bit suspicious to most people.

Also, for future run ins with the police the line "Too cold for you two boys to be outside on bikes", along with things like "too late to be out", "don't want to see you here again", etc is police talk for "I think you're up to something, but I don't know what it is/don't feel like figuring it out/my shift is almost over, so go home before I do feel like figuring it out/decide to be a d*ck", and to which you say "Yes, officer".

JeffS

That you didn't think this was going to be a problem amazes me.

And yea... you had already shown the cops you didn't have much of a clue so I'm not surprised that they gave you a hard time.

rumrunn6

it's not about being "legal" is about pissing off the store owner and their security. a bike makes a quick getaway for a shoplifter easy. doing what you did made you stand out and gave them something to worry about.

sggoodri

Not illegal, but it's up to the store owner. The social norm is to leave your vehicle outside of the store, so you don't risk injury to others or damage to property, as remote as this may be if you're being very careful. By violating the social norm you drew attention to yourself.

I walk my bike into a bike shop and park it near the repair area when I shop there. I also walk my bike into my office when I commute to work. I have the understanding of the people in charge at these places. Anwhere else, I lock it outside.

I've sometimes brought my bike inside public building meeting rooms where the meeting topic was bicycle transportation, and there was no bike parking outside, but I've had people in charge of the facilities object, concerned that I would mark up the walls.